Decide on Your Next OOW Read: A Flow Chart
By Sarah Buhrman
Now that you’ve learned a little something about OOW, what next? With so many great authors, how do you pick?
To help with this, I’ve created this colorful flow chart, grouping OOW authors using three metrics:
- Time period – This is whether the setting is past, present or future. In situations where it isn’t very clear, I use the “feel” of the setting (ie, medieval/feudal like). Near-future is grouped as present since the feel is more contemporary than futuristic.
- Fantasy/Sci-Fi – Logic v magic. Mechanic v mage. Cyborg v psionist. That’s the spectrum I’m using, though there are quite a few that are more…. mixed than firmly one or the other.
- Romanc-y or not – This is specifically whether romance is a primary or strong secondary plot. Hints at attraction don’t really count, but if the love bug is prominent in the story, it falls under romance.
These categories are generalizations of each writer. No writer is in more than two categories for simplicity’s sake. I may adjust some categories as we add more authors, or as authors grow (or my understanding of their writing).
This is a jumping off point, not a box to enclose the authors. It is meant to help you, the reader, decide where to go for your next read, not chase you away from authors.
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May the reading be ever in your favor!
